Alarmed by the spate of crimes against women concerned citizens and organisations have held numerous protest marches in Delhi.

A study -- Crime Against Women: Bondage and Beyond -- conducted by Centre for Women's Development Studies, has found Delhi to have the highest overall crime rate (number of crimes per million population).

Analysing the National Crime Records Bureau data, the report says that in 1998 and 1999, 22 per cent of cases relating to crimes against women were pending.

The way to increase the rate of conviction is to make sure that the laws are implemented in totality, the report says.

Apart from the title of crime capital, one wouldn't be far off from the truth if Delhi also came to be called the rape capital.

In 2000, Delhi recorded 447 rape cases, 380 in 2001 and 299 till July 2002; Mumbai came a distant second with 124 and 127 cases in 2000 and 2001.